天門冬 Chinese asparagus

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 2

1. 性寒, 味苦甘, 無毒. 治肺氣喘嗽, 消痰, 止吐血.

   Its nature is cold, its taste bitter and sweet, and it is non-toxic. It treats panting and coughing of the lung qi, dissolves dam (痰, phlegm), and stops the vomiting of blood.

   HomiclubCheonmundong is a climbing plant of the asparagus family whose root bears a cluster of spindle-shaped tubers. It grows along Korea's southern coasts and islands, and what look like its leaves are in fact fine green branchlets.

2. 療肺痿, 通腎氣, 鎭心, 利小便. 冷而能補, 殺三蟲, 悅顔色, 止消渴, 潤五藏.

   It treats pyewi (肺痿, lung wilting), frees the qi of the kidney, calms the heart, and eases urination. Cold though it is, it can still supplement; it kills the samchung (三蟲, three worms), brightens the complexion, stops sogal (消渴, wasting thirst), and moistens the ojang (五藏, five viscera).

3. 二月三月七月八月採根, 暴乾. 用時湯浸, 劈破去心. 以大根味甘者, 爲好. 《本草》

   The root is dug in the second, third, seventh and eighth months and dried in the sun. For use it is steeped in hot water, split open, and the core removed. Thick roots with a sweet taste are held to be good. 《Boncho (本草)》

   HomiclubRemoving the tough core that runs through the tuber is still how cheonmundong is prepared. Once cored and dried, the flesh turns a translucent amber.

4. 入手太陰ㆍ足少陰經. 《湯液》

   It enters the hand taeeum and foot soeum channels. 《Tangaek (湯液)》

5. 我國, 惟忠淸全羅慶尙道有之. 《俗方》

   In this country it is found only in Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces. 《Sokbang (俗方)》